Nigeria recorded 116 cases of cholera in the first week of July as against 188 reported in the last week of June 2024, representing a 38 percent decline in reported cases of the disease.
Health officials believe this significant drop could be an indication Africa’s most populous nation could overcome the deadly disease that has ravaged the country in the last three months, if surveillance is sustained.
There were 116 suspected cholera cases reported across several states in the first week of July, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Within this period, Lagos, which has been the epicentre of the disease, recorded the most cases with 102, followed by Ebonyi with six, while Niger, Oyo, Bauchi, and Kogi states each reported two cases.
Three deaths were recorded from these cases in the first week of July resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 2.6 percent.
Over a week ago, the Federal Government inaugurated a steering committee on the Clean Nigeria Campaign to combat the key drivers of the cholera epidemic: open defecation and the lack of potable water.
Vice President Kashim Shettima said the administration of President Bola Tinubu plans to end open defecation by 2025, integrating technology in implementing sustainable solutions to boost sanitation nationwide.
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Emphasising the import of hygiene and health on development and wealth, Shettima said: “The committee must align with broader government priorities and interventions in poverty reduction, education, and economic growth.”
NCDC-led efforts saw healthcare workers conduct tests to diagnose cholera as rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) were done on 12 patients, with four positive results, the centre stated in a report released on Monday. Stool culture tests were performed on 15 patients, identifying two positive cases.
The centre notes that the National Multi-Sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group (TWG) will continue to monitor the response efforts across different states.
Between May and July 7, 2024, a total of 2,809 suspected cases were recorded in the country, with 82 deaths reported in 33 states.
Nigeria faces several challenges in tackling cholera outbreaks, including difficulty reaching some communities due to security concerns, hindering aid and awareness efforts, the NCDC said.
It explained that open defecation and a lack of safe drinking water, especially in rural areas and urban slums, increase the risk of infection and create a breeding ground for the bacteria.
In addition, poor hygiene practices in many cholera-prone communities and inadequate healthcare facilities and supplies such as Ringer’s lactate and Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) for treating patients pose a challenge to eliminating the disease.
